Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Lorna laughed and patted her rounded belly. “Which is how she knew about the baby before I had the chance to tell her.”
“I don’t usually pay attention to that junk, you know that.” Dad raked his fingers through his hair as he walked toward me. “I love football, sure, but not the drama the players have to deal with from the public.”
A knot formed in my chest. “You saw the article.”
He nodded grimly. “Hard not to. You’ve never talked to us about a guy before, Ivy. Not once until you casually mentioned you were seeing one of Cole’s players. Then I see that photo of him with some woman, only a few days later. Your mom’s worried sick, and your guy is lucky he’s not here right now because nobody gets away with hurting my girls.”
“Mom will be fine when she hears the whole story.” I set my comb down carefully on the counter. “It’s not what it looked like. At all.”
“Maybe not.” His voice was gentle but skeptical. “But I’ve been around long enough to know what happens when fame and relationships mix. Those guys live in the spotlight, and when it fades, they tend to move on.”
Lorna argued, “They’re not all like that, Mr. Fisher.”
He gave her a patient look. “Cole’s older. He’s settled. Coaching now instead of running routes and dodging cameras. Saxon’s still in the thick of it. He’s got the world at his feet. And a dozen people waiting to pull him in every direction.”
My chest tightened, even though I knew he wasn’t trying to hurt me. He was just being…a dad. Protective. Careful. The man who’d spent half my childhood warning me that some men enjoyed the thrill of the chase more than they cherished hearts.
He turned back toward me. “I just don’t want you to get caught in something that’ll break you.”
“I won’t,” I promised, even though the flicker of doubt in his eyes told me he wasn’t convinced.
The bell over the door jingled again.
I turned and froze when I saw Saxon step inside, holding two coffees. His gaze flicked from me to my dad, instantly clocking the tension in the room.
Dad hadn’t seen him yet. He was focused entirely on me, his expression drawn with concern. “I’m worried about you falling for a guy like that, Ivy. Lorna was lucky. They don’t usually give their whole heart to someone.”
My mouth opened to defend Saxon, but I didn’t have to.
His voice was calm but threaded with steel as he murmured, “Maybe you’ve been meeting the wrong guys, sir.”
My dad’s head whipped toward Saxon, who set both coffees on the counter and walked toward us, unhurried but deliberate.
Dad straightened, shoulders squaring as he looked at the man who’d stolen his daughter’s heart. “You must be the famous boyfriend.”
Saxon didn’t flinch as he extended his hand. “Yes, sir. Saxon Powell.”
Dad hesitated a beat before shaking it, his grip firm. “You’ve caused quite a stir.”
“I’m aware, but it wasn’t my intention. I’d rather lose my right arm than hurt Ivy.” He turned his gaze to me for a beat, his eyes softening, before focusing on my father again. “Sir, I’m in love with your daughter. She’s had my whole heart since the moment I saw her.”
The salon went silent. My breath caught, my pulse tripping over itself. His tone was low, sure, and devastatingly sincere. This wasn’t an act to convince my dad that I was safe with him. He meant what he said.
Dad’s brow furrowed, but something in his expression softened. “That so?”
“Yes, sir.” Saxon’s voice didn’t waver. “I know how it looks when you see a picture like that online. But I’d never betray Ivy. Not ever.”
For a moment, they just stared at each other—two stubborn men assessing one another.
Finally, my dad nodded slowly. “If you do, you’ll answer to me.”
The warning earned my father one of Saxon’s half smiles. “Fair enough. You won’t have to worry about that.”
A long pause stretched before Dad clapped his shoulder once, gruffly. “We’ll see.”
Saxon nodded. “You will.”
Then my dad looked at me, his eyes gentler. “Call your mother tonight, okay? She’ll want to get the whole story for herself, whatever the heck happened. And she’ll need it from you, so she can hear the happiness in your voice.”
“Okay,” I promised.
When the door shut behind him, the tension drained from my shoulders.
Saxon was still watching me, his gaze full of something that made my knees weak.
“You told my dad you love me,” I whispered, my mind still reeling from his declaration.
He smiled faintly. “Wasn’t news to me, Sunshine.”
His expression was unreadable, his jaw tense. He’d just told my father he was in love with me and suddenly looked almost uncertain. It was so out of character for him, and that was what finally broke my composure.
I crossed the few steps separating us, sliding my hands up his chest until my fingers brushed his collar. Then I tilted my head back and met his gaze. “And for the record…” I swallowed hard, my heart thudding against his chest. “I love you, too.”